..續本文上一頁uding men and women who have undertaken the eight or ten precepts, are obliged to observe celibacy. They must abstain not only from sexual misconduct, but from all sexual involvements, at least during the period of their vows. The holy life at its highest aims at complete purity in thought, word, and deed, and this requires turning back the tide of sexual desire.
受戒的比庫、比庫尼，以及發願守八戒或十戒的男性與女性，都有義務保持獨身。他們不只要遠離邪淫，還要遠離所有牽涉到性的事物，至少在他們發願期間必須如此。神聖修行生活的最高目標在淨化思想、語言、文字和行爲，而這須要對性的欲望之潮的退卻。
Right Livelihood (samma ajiva)
正命
Right livelihood is concerned with ensuring that one earns one”s living in a righteous way. For a lay disciple the Buddha teaches that wealth should be gained in accordance with certain standards. One should acquire it only by legal means, not illegally; one should acquire it peacefully, without coercion or violence; one should acquire it honestly, not by trickery or deceit; and one should acquire it in ways which do not entail harm and suffering for others.34 The Buddha mentions five specific kinds of livelihood which bring harm to others and are therefore to be avoided: dealing in weapons, in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), in meat production and butchery, in poisons, and in intoxicants (AN 5:177). He further names several dishonest means of gaining wealth which fall under wrong livelihood: practicing deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, and usury (MN 117). Obviously any occupation that requires violation of right speech and right action is a wrong form of livelihood, but other occupations, such as selling weapons or intoxicants, may not violate those factors and yet be wrong because of their consequences for others.
正命，是爲了確保一個人以正當的方式維持生活所需。佛陀教導在家衆們：財富的獲取必須符合某種標准。這些標准包括：要以合法而不以非法的方式取得財富；要用和平而非脅迫或暴力的方式來獲得它；要用誠實的方式獲得它，不可詐欺或欺騙；還有獲得它的方式，不可造成他人的傷害與痛苦。佛陀指出了五種會造成他人傷害，因此應該加以避免的職業：販售刀械武器、買賣衆生(包括飼養動物以供宰殺、奴隸交易以及賣人爲淫)、從事肉類加工或屠宰、製造毒品及麻醉品(《增支部》 5：177)。此外，佛陀還指出了五種不誠實而獲得財富的行爲，因此也不符合「正命」的規範：欺騙、背信、預言、詐欺以及高利貸。由此看來，很明顯地，任何違反正語及正業的職業，都不會是正命。而諸如：販售武器或麻醉品等職業，也不會是正命。因爲這些行爲的結果，會傷害到其他衆生，所以是錯的。
The Thai treatise discusses the positive aspects of right livelihood under the three convenient headings of rightness regarding actions, rightness regarding persons, and rightness regarding objects.35 “Rightness regarding actions” means that workers should fulfill their duties diligently and conscientiously, not idling away time, claiming to have worked longer hours than they did, or pocketing the company”s goods. “Rightness regarding persons” means that due respect and consideration should be shown to employers, employees, colleagues, and customers. An employer, for example, should assign his workers chores according to their ability, pay them adequately, promote them when they deserve a promotion and give them occasional vacations and bonuses. Colleagues should try to cooperate rather than compete, while merchants should be equitable in their dealings with customers. “Rightness regarding objects” means that in business transactions and sales the articles to be sold should be presented truthfully. There should be no deceptive advertising, misrepresentations of quality or quantity, or dishonest manoeuvers.
泰國論典，以叁個容易記的標題，討論了正命的積極面向：「事」的正當性、「人」的正當性、「物」的正當性。「事的正當」指的是：員工應該熱誠而有良心地盡好自己的本分，不浪費時間，不多報工時，也不取走公司的財物。「人的正當」指的是：應該給予雇主、員工、同事及顧客應得的尊重與體諒。例如：雇主應該根據員工的能力，而給予任務，給他們應得的薪水，該升遷的時候讓他們升遷，並給予他們假期與獎金。同事之間應該合作而非競爭。商人也應該公平地對待顧客。「物的正當」指的是：在商業交易中，要賣的貨品應該被誠實地呈現，不應作不實廣告，誇大品質及份量，也不應作不實的宣傳。
《八聖道之正語正業正命 Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood》全文閱讀結束。